In March the trust received a strong endorsement as a place to work via the latest NHS Staff Survey, with employees of the trust reporting feeling more engaged and motivated – and more likely to recommend the trust as a place to work or receive treatment. Staff also reported improvements in support and communication from managers, better team working and the trust was above average for the percentage of staff who believe the organisation provides equal opportunities for career progression or promotion, at 90%.

In May the trust was named one of the top 40 hospital operators in the country for the seventh consecutive year via the CHKS Top Hospitals Programme. The award was given to the trust once more following evaluation of over 22 key performance indicators covering safety, clinical effectiveness, health outcomes, efficiency, patient experience and quality of care.

In October the trust’s Children's Research Team were finalists for Research Team of the Year at the fifth annual Greater Manchester Clinical Research Awards. Simply being shortlisted for the award is a significant achievement as the awards received an unprecedented 160 high-quality nominations in 2017.

Dr Darren Kilroy was named Procurement Champion of the Year in the North West Excellence in Supply Awards in October. Dr Kilroy, who is a Deputy Medical Director and ED consultant at the trust, was nominated by colleagues for his leadership in supporting cost reductions while prioritising patient safety.

In November trust district nursing sister and University of Chester nursing student Jodie Carr (pictured above) was recognised as one of the highest-achieving nurses in the country when she received the Philip Goodeve-Docker Memorial Prize, a Queen’s Nursing Institute (QNI) award.

In December the trust’s Information Standard accreditation was renewed by NHS England following a vigorous assessment of its patient information processes. The Information Standard provides a recognised ‘quality mark’ which indicates that an organisation is a reliable source of health and social care information.